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Ideology, Grandstanding, and Strategic Party Disloyalty in the British Parliament

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  • SLAPIN, JONATHAN B.
  • KIRKLAND, JUSTIN H.
  • LAZZARO, JOSEPH A.
  • LESLIE, PATRICK A.
  • O’GRADY, TOM

Abstract

Strong party discipline is a core feature of Westminster parliamentary systems. Parties typically compel members of Parliament (MPs) to support the party regardless of MPs’ individual preferences. Rebellion, however, does occur. Using an original dataset of MP votes and speeches in the British House of Commons from 1992 to 2015, coupled with new estimations of MPs’ ideological positions within their party, we find evidence that MPs use rebellion strategically to differentiate themselves from their party. The strategy that MPs employ is contingent upon an interaction of ideological extremity with party control of government. Extremists are loyal when their party is in the opposition, but these same extremists become more likely to rebel when their party controls government. Additionally, they emphasize their rebellion through speeches. Existing models of rebellion and party discipline do not account for government agenda control and do not explain these patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Slapin, Jonathan B. & Kirkland, Justin H. & Lazzaro, Joseph A. & Leslie, Patrick A. & O’Grady, Tom, 2018. "Ideology, Grandstanding, and Strategic Party Disloyalty in the British Parliament," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 112(1), pages 15-30, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:112:y:2018:i:01:p:15-30_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Tiffany BARNES & Charles CRABTREE & MATSUO Akitaka & ONO Yoshikuni, 2022. "Women Use More Positive Language than Men: Candidates’ strategic use of emotive language in election campaigns," Discussion papers 22114, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Zoltán Fazekas & Martin Ejnar Hansen, 2022. "Incentives for non-participation: absence in the United Kingdom House of Commons, 1997–2015," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 191(1), pages 51-73, April.
    3. Carol Mershon, 2020. "Challenging the wisdom on preferential proportional representation," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 32(1), pages 168-182, January.
    4. Jonah Schulhofer-Wohl, 2020. "On-Side fighting in civil war: The logic of mortal alignment in Syria," Rationality and Society, , vol. 32(4), pages 402-460, November.

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